Scaffold Alarms

WHY ALARMS ON A SCAFFOLD ARE ESSENTIAL TO BUILDING SECURITY

Many of our customers can be understandably worried about the risks associated with scaffolding being built against their properties without the added safety of scaffold alarms.

These concerns are shared equally by residential and commercial customers, which is why we offer a wide range of systems.

Security products like these are designed to give peace of mind to building owners by deterring trespassers, vandals and thieves. While they are important on many building and renovation projects, they can be essential on longer term sites both in rural and city centre locations. Theft of equipment and materials and instances of damage can cause big delays on expensive projects so we believe that’s it’s always worth making sure that your site is safe and secure at the end of the working day.

There is a huge range of beam sensors, lights and CCTV cameras from which to choose to allow you to deter, detect and record intruders. While each site has its own particular requirements, scaffold alarms are generally used for the following reasons:

Security – Scaffold can give unwanted people access to upstairs floors and roofs of homes and offices so scaffolding alarms are important to prevent opportunistic thieves from getting inside. This is important whether the property is occupied or unoccupied. Be aware that it’s possible for intruders to use scaffolds to access the property of a neighbour who is on holiday.

Health and safety – Unfortunately, scaffolds can be a big draw for children (and adults who should know better), who could easily injure themselves while ‘exploring’. A loud alarm should be enough to scare them away before they start climbing the framework.

Insurance – On commercial (and possibly some larger domestic) projects, the insurance company covering the build will probably insist that protective measures such are used to minimize the risks of theft and damage.

How much does our security equipment cost to hire?

The most common model is a beamed perimeter alarm that can be linked to any mobile or land-line phone via a temporary line. The ‘code red’ service will also alert the police if the alarm is triggered. We would always recommend that property owners don’t attempt to investigate any alarm triggers themselves; leave it to the professionals, who can deal effectively with anyone who is still on site.

On the beamed perimeter alarm, we set it up at the end of each elevation (including the returns) so that there is a complete ring of sensor beams that will sound the alarm if broken. The sensor boxes are fitted via a small tube so that the beams can be positioned in exactly the right places. In truth, the location of the security system is just as crucial as the quality of the equipment. There’s no point in installing any system if it’s pointing in the wrong directions!

For smaller projects where, for example, coverage is only required on entrances or doorways, PIR alert system will do the job quickly and efficiently. Again, the alarm can be linked to a particular phone number or to the police and it’s also useful to cover temporary huts or offices on site.

With most systems, a key pad is installed in order to set and disarm the system. You can then choose to give the code to as many or as few people as you think is appropriate to give you the right security control for your site. For added protection, the control box is usually hardwired and positioned inside the building.

Of course, it’s important to check that the system supplied is of excellent quality and are unlikely to cause false alarms. Like all of our equipment, we know that the scaffold alarms we suggest have to be reliable, effective and fit for purpose.